Parents arrested on suspicion of murdering their infant in Long Beach

LONG BEACH >> The parents of a 1-month-old infant who died after being found in a four-star hotel nearly a year ago in Long Beach are behind bars on suspicion of the baby’s murder, Long Beach police said Wednesday.

The parents, 32-year-old Nereyda Licon and 28-year-old Joshua Licon, both of Fresno, are being held on $1 million bail in Long Beach Jail. They were arrested Monday in Fresno after police learned they were staying in an apartment there and were transported to Long Beach on Tuesday.

The infant’s death was discovered May 30, 2013, when authorities were called to the Hyatt Regency Long Beach Hotel at 200 S. Pine Ave. on a report that a baby boy, later identified as Joshua Don Licon, was found not breathing, according to police and Los Angeles County Coroner’s reports. Paramedics transported the baby to a hospital where he was pronounced dead. It appears the Licons were guests at the hotel.

Coroner’s investigators ruled the boy died as a result of “undernutrition.”

Homicide detectives presented the case to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, which issued arrest warrants for both parents on March 27.